What information does a barium swallow provide?
- Barium swallow, also referred to as esophagram, is the general term for a fluoroscopic-radiographic examination of oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal swallowing.
- For the evaluation of dysphagia, a barium swallow study has a few advantages over endoscopy, primarily its ability to diagnose disorders of motility in addition to structural abnormalities.
- Conversely, endoscopy is superior in detecting milder grades of esophagitis, permits tissue sampling, and does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation.
- Barium swallow provides assessment of esophageal motility and emptying, type of hiatal hernia if present, presence of a stricture or mucosal injury, and detection of esophageal reflux.
